Life at Ribe. 
135 
pointed out, several of our first staff failed seriously 
in health ; and before long death made its appearance 
in our ranks. In 1864 tiie Rev. E. Butterworth came 
to reinforce the mission at Ribe. He was a fine 
young man of twenty-three ; intelligent, cultured, 
noble-minded, heroic ; a true missionary, who came 
to do or die. The fever seized upon him at once. 
He was soon prostrate. Again and again the attacks 
returned, each time with increased severity. At length 
the intermittent gave place to the remittent form of 
the malady ; and a few weeks after his arrival on the 
coast he died. It was on a Saturday night, between 
twelve and one o'clock, that he breathed his soul 
into the hands of the God who gave it We shall 
never forget that dread night. Alone with the dead, 
in the jungles of Eastern Africa, we watched from 
midnight till day dawn ; and then, Sabbath though 
it was, we went to work upon a rude cofiin, in which 
to enclose the remains of our departed colleague. 
It was a sad Sabbath morning's work. At twelve 
o'clock on that day the burial took place, committing 
" earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," till the 
last great day when the blast of the trumpet shall be 
heard, and the dead shall rise into " newness of life." 
Such was one of the most mournful episodes in our 
life at Ribe. We remember, however, that our grief 
was greatly alleviated by the presence with us, on a 
visit to the station, of Colonel Playfair, H.B.M. Con- 
sul, Zanzibar; the Rev. C. Allington ; and Mr. Dray- 
ton of the University's mission. We cannot help re- 
cording our deep sense of the sympathy and kindness 
shown to us by these gentlemen. We are sorry to 
say that the latter, after visiting England for a short 
